Dear Editor,

Recently, we have seen actions by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to elect a governor of “Guayana Essequiba”, which indicates that the South American counterpart will not relent in claiming a territory that does not belong to them.

In essence, the Government of Guyana must not take Venezuela for granted, as on numerous occasions Nicolás Maduro, who illegally took the oath of office on Friday, January 10th, 2024, continues to violate international law and commitments outlined in the Argyle Agreement of December 14th, 2023 in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

In a statement released last week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced President Nicolás Maduro’s January 7, 2025, announcement that a “Governor for Guayana’s Esequibo territory” would be elected.

The question is, has the government been proactive enough on this matter?

Alliance For Change member, Beverly Alert recently, at a press conference, criticized the State for failing to engage members of the opposition and civil society on the developments regarding the Guyana/Venezuela border dispute.

Based on Ms. Alert’s statement, it can be inferred that the State may have been somewhat passive when it came to informing the public about a significant issue.

The AFC demanded that there be an “immediate convention of the Foreign Relations Committee” and the “re-convention of a bipartisan border/National Security Committee.”

It would be presumptuous of me to advise the opposition and the government on how to proceed, but I do think it is crucial that both sides show unity as we deal with the current circumstance.

Furthermore, the State must get into a state of preparedness for any eventualities, as we don’t know what Maduro has up his sleeves.

Knowing who our allies are is essential in international relations and diplomacy, but it is even more important to have faith that they will actually stand by us during this never-ending standoff with Venezuela.

Venezuela has shown avarice and totalitarianism, and we must not be intimidated by their actions. Instead, we must confront the issue as a united country.

It is imminent that a war is looming, and we must be geared!!

Regards

Antonio Dey

Final Year Student

University of Guyana